Description | 'Caradonna' Meadow sage (Salvia nemerosa) is a taller Salvia with spikes of dark blue flowers. |
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Pronunciation | (SAL-vee-a) |
Plant Type | Perennials Hardy, Site author's observations |
Hardiness Zone | (3)4-7 |
Sunlight | well drained |
Moisture | average, tolerates dry once established |
Soil & Site | needs average to well drained soils, will rot in winter wet soils |
Flowers | spikes of deep violet, tubular two-lipped flowers borne in whorls, seem to be longer and not as thick as other cultivars, end of May into early June, held on spike-like racemes |
Leaves | paired simple leaves |
Stems | purple-black |
Dimensions | 24 inches tall |
Maintenance | After blooming cut back to a few inches off the ground. They will respond with a new flush of foliage and a lesser but a second bloom |
Propagation | division, cuttings |
Native Site | Europe and west-central Asia |
Cultivar Origin | Found as a chance seedling of Salvia Wesuve at the Zillmer Nursery in Germany (1996). |
Author's Notes | A good combination is Salvia Caradonna and some form of Nepeta (Catmint) such as Early Bird, Blue Wonder, etc. They bloom at the same time and are both full sun, hot to average growing conditions. |
Notes & Reference | #04-Herbaceous Perennial Plants (Allan Armitage), #40-Herbaceous Ornamental Plants (Steven Stills), #87-The New Book of Salvias (Betsy Clebsch) |